Chrysanthemum plant named `White Miami`

ABSTRACT

A chrysanthemum plant named White Miami particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; daisy capitulum type; white ray floret color; small flowers, with a diameter across face of capitulum of 38 to 41 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; flowering response is 51 to 60 days after start of short days; plant height is 79 to 86 cm when grown with 17 to 18 long days prior to start of short days; peduncle length of both the first and the fourth lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud without growth regulator applications is 5 to 8 cm; high production of flowers per stem, with 14 to 17 laterals developing; top laterals produe one terminal flower, lower laterals produce one terminal flower and 2 to 4 secondary flowers; and recommended as spray cut mum.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, andreferred to by the cultivar name White Miami.

White Miami, identified as 3661 (90-571B01), is a product of a mutationinduction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selected byinventor Cornelis P. VandenBerg on Dec. 10, 1993 in a controlledenvironment in Salinas, Calif. as one flowering plant within a floweringblock established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had beenexposed as unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in FortMyers, Fla. on May 13, 1993. The irradiated parent cultivar was thecultivar Miami, described as a daisy spray cut mum with a very lightpink ray floret color with many small flowers. The ray floret color ofthe parent cultivar Miami was considered to be too light for commercialintroduction, and was never introduced nor patented in North America.

The irradiation program resulting in White Miami had as its primaryobjective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Miami.The irradiation program comprised irradiation of cuttings of the parentcultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of2,145 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants wereplanted on Oct. 4, 1993. Of these, 13 initial selections were made,which selections were then revegetated and reflowered in Honselersdijk,The netherlands. This flowering resulted in discarding 11 of theoriginal 13 selections on Aug. 29, 1994. The remaining wo selectionswere maintained as PIs (Possible Introductions) and further trialed inSalinas, Calif. and Honselersdijk, The Netherlands, ultimately resultingin the decision to introduce the 2 remaining selections as White Miamiand Pink Miami. Pink Miami is disclosed in co-pending application Ser.No. 08/547397.

The first act of asexual reproduction of White Miami was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection inFebruary of 1994 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for White Miami are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

White Miami has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describedplants grown in Salinas, Calif., under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial greenhouse practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of White Miami, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. White ray floret color.

4. Small flowers, with a diameter across face of capitulum of 38 to 41mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum.

5. Flowering response is 51 to 60 days after start of short days.

6. Plant height is 79 to 86 cm when grown with b 17 to 18 long daysprior to start of short days.

7. Peduncle length of both the first and the fourth lateral at floweringafter removing the apical bud without growth regulator applications is 5to 8 cm.

8. High production of flowers per stem, with 14 to 17 lateralsdeveloping. Top laterals produce one terminal flower, lower lateralsproduce one terminal flower and 2 to 4 secondary flowers.

9. Recommended as spray cut mum.

The accompanying photographic drawing is a side view of a single stemcut spray mum of White Miami, with the colors being as nearly true aspossible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial culivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparison to White Miami is the parent cultivar Miami. All traits ofWhite Miami are similar to those of Miami, except for the ray floretcolor. The ray floret color of White Miami is White, while the rayflorer color of Miami is a very light pink. When compared with thesister cultivar Pink miami, disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No.08/547,397, White Miami has a 3 to 5 cm shorter plant height than PinkMiami, while the ray floret color of white Miami is white, compared tothe light purple ray floret color of Pink Miami.

In the following description color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined onplant material grown as a single stem spray cut mum grown in Salinas,Calif. on Jul. 7, 1995.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv White Miami.

Commercial.--Flat daisy spray cut mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Daisy.

Diameter across face.--38 to 41 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--White.

Color (upper surface):--155B.

Color (Under surface):--155B.

Shape.--Longitudinal straight, cross section concave.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature):--b 15A.

Color (immature).--15 A. overlaid with 144B.

D. Reproductive Organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; no pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General Appearance:

Height.--79 to 86 cm when grown in Salinas with 17 to 18 long days priorto start of short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Deeply lobed, strongly serrated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant namedWhite Miami, as described and illustrated.